Tuck It Away
by Konaxookami
Summary: Her heart felt much too large for her rib cage and she wanted nothing more than to capture this moment forever to hold close when things became too hard to bear. She tucked it away in her mind before she joins the four of them, enjoying the warmth while she could, before everything might change.


In between working on the next chapter of 'A Language That is Felt Instead of Heard' and all my mounting schoolwork (and playing Bravely Default) I found some time to churn out some loving Robin mother stuff because I wish we got more of the dynamic of her being a mother because it just seems like we skirt over it, and that's so sad. She's a good mother. Also I just really liked the idea of Big Lucina, and Little Lucina in the same room.

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Traveling to Plegia to reclaim Sabel was good for one thing, that much was certain. So close to their own home in Ylisse, the Shepards could finally get a decent resupply of arms and men. Cutting through Ylisstol to rest and plan, Robin's mind was only on one individual.

Her daughter. She hadn't seen her baby in months, and while missives updated her on her growth, there was nothing to substitute her own eyes and ears. Chrom understood her eagerness to see their young daughter and offered to hold down the planning meeting until she had at least been able to see the small child again.

As soon as the party entered the city, Robin watched as one by one their party begged off to go and reacquaint themselves with family and friends before setting off again. She watched as the children from the future take in the city with awed eyes. It took her a moment to realize they had probably never seen Ylisstol look so beautiful, if their accounts from the future were anything to go off of.

In particular, Robin's eyes fell on her two teenaged children, riding side by side. Morgan's eyes were wide as he pointed out building after building, and from the look on Lucina's face she was explaining what each one was to him. Her heart swelled at the sight of the two, normally so tired from the campaign in Valm, bright and happy.

She felt a pinch of guilt at the thought that she was about to go and spend time with her young daughter who had years to go instead of these two amazing children who had fought long and hard to find their way back to their parents' side. Still, it was only fair that she give the Lucina that she had borne in this time just as much love as the Lucina she had grown to know had yearned for.

She was the first to the castle grounds as they went through the bustling city. She was quick to tie her horse up and rush towards the nursery that she had, despite the castle's staffs wishes, furnished herself. She opened the doors quietly, knowing that in this high afternoon sun, her baby was probably still asleep. The smell of fresh linens hung in the air as she walked in and made her way over to the bassinette her daughter was in.

Her heart clenched at the sight of her sleeping daughter. Her hair was growing quickly, and she'd at least doubled in size since she'd last seen her. She removed her gloves silently before reaching into the crib to cradle her daughter in her arms. Holding her close to her chest, Robin let out a breath she hadn't thought she had been holding.

Her little girl wasn't so little anymore. Still small enough to be held in her arms, but larger than the image her mind had always conjured up when she was thinking of her. Her nose was shaping to look more like her father's, and she could see herself in her daughter's cheeks.

"Where has the time gone, Lucina?" she murmured to her sleeping daughter, "Soon you'll be old enough to walk about and talk. You'll want to pick up the sword. You told me so yourself you know," she smiles down at the girl as she recalls her teenager daughter blushing at the memory of taking one of her father's swords at the age of three to 'train' with, "Oh, what a woman you are going to grow into, my darling. And right now your father and I are fighting so we can watch you grow into her this time."

"I'm fighting for that future too."

Robin started, surprised by her own daughter's voice drifting from the doorway. The girl stood there sheepishly, eyes downcast. She scuffed at the floor with a foot, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I was just-I mean, Father said I could try and find you if I wanted but-I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Robin smiled at Lucina, watching as her daughter slowly raised her eyes. They flickered to the child in her arms and her posture changed a little, straightening up and peering forward.

"You can come in Lucina, you aren't interrupting anything that I wouldn't want you to hear after all."

Lucina took quiet steps in and a wry smile came to her face, "Mother you ought to know that phrases like that are better used on Morgan. He would understand them better than I."

Still, Robin watched Lucina's eyes light up at the joke. When she is at her side, the girl peeked down into the bundle of blankets in her mother's arms and seems struck silent for a moment. The baby yawned and curls into her mother's chest and Lucina's eyes widened.

"I…She's so much smaller than I expected."

Robin laughs at this, "You were this size once, Lucina. That being said, you're growing rather quickly for a child. It must be your father's side of the family. He's never able to sit still for too long."

Lucina reached forward, her smile small, "Morgan was the same, if I remember correctly. He was walking and talking by the turn of his first birthday. Or at least talking as well as a one year old can," she recounted, as she brushed a few strands of hair from her younger self's face.

"Is that so? It sounds like he's going to be a handful. You weren't a very fussy baby, very quiet and very happy." Robin relayed to her daughter, watching as the girl blushed at the praise, "Would you like to hold her Lucina? Not maybe people get the chance to hold themselves as a baby after all."

Lucina blanched, withdrawing her hand from her younger version's face. Her eyes widen, "What if I drop her?"

Robin can't stop the laugh that bubbled out of her chest at the question. The child in her arms stirred at the movement. Robin adjusted the girl in her arms as she grinned, "Your father said the same thing. Come now Lucina, you've fought countless battles, surely a baby doesn't frighten you?"

Lucina gulped, and Robin feels a little twinge of guilt for teasing the normally so solemn girl. She watched as Lucina opened her arms to take the baby and Robin transferred her girl into her daughter's arms gently, coaching the older girl as she went.

"There, a little more support under her head, that's right. Hold her close so she won't fall. That's good."

She stepped back after a moment to survey the sight. Her heart swelled at the image of her daughter staring down in awe at her younger self, held ever so gently in her arms. She watched as the baby's eyes opened with a yawn and she happily cooed up at Lucina's face.

"What'd I tell you? Nothing scary about yourself," Robin assured her, wrapping an arm around Lucina's shoulder and reaching out with her other hand to give the baby a finger to play with, "It's good practice for when you and Inigo get around to having children of your own."

Lucina sputtered at that, her ears turning red, "_Mother!" _her voice is horrified and Robin got the distinct idea her daughter didn't think she knew about Inigo's courting her. It wasn't hard to see how the girl changed around the dancer. It made her proud that she had found a man who could make her smile so effortlessly.

"Oh! Father, I found them!"

Morgan's voice echoed in the hallway as he entered the room, gaping at the baby in Lucina's arms. Chrom followed after him, his face softening as he caught sight of his three girls together.

"After Lucina went looking for you, Morgan offered to take chase as well. I joined him," Chrom explained, crossing to Robin and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"This is Big Sis? She's so tiny!" Morgan reached towards the infant and his eyes widened at the small child reached for him in turn and grabbed his fingers, letting Robin's go in the process.

Chrom chuckled, "Babies are small Morgan. You were this size once too. So was your sister," he ruffled the boy's hair and Lucina chuckled at her brother squawking at his hair getting messed up.

Robin surveyed her small family, watching her two teenagers react to her smallest child with awe as their father explained why she was making those sounds. Her heart felt much too large for her rib cage and she wanted nothing more than to capture this moment forever to hold close when things became too hard to bear. She tucked it away in her mind before she joins the four of them, enjoying the warmth while she could, before everything might change.

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I was going to add a really sad second half of it but I decided I would just write pure fluff because I don't do that enough. Also I snuck in some Inigo and Lucina stuff because there was no reason I shouldn't. Reviews are lovely, but you are lovelier. And I'm gonna get back to work on my other fe:a piece now that I've got this out of my system.


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